There’s also a delay system in place that can put recovery requests on hold for a few hours or even several days, depending on the level of risk involved. While frustrating, this measure is a security feature designed to protect accounts from unauthorized access. If acted upon quickly, users may still be able to recover their account using the original recovery information, such as a phone number or email address, for up to seven days after the details are changed.
If recovery through Google’s automated system is proving difficult, users with linked YouTube accounts have sometimes found success by contacting YouTube support. Social media channels have also proven helpful in expediting the recovery process in more complex cases.
The question remains, how do hackers bypass Gmail’s security systems? One common method is session cookie theft, which involves stealing the data that keeps users logged in after 2FA has already been verified. By taking over these session cookies, hackers can change your account’s security settings without needing to go through 2FA again.
To protect against these types of attacks in the future, Google recommends steps like using passkeys, which are more secure than SMS-based 2FA. Passkeys are resistant to phishing and hacking attempts that steal session cookies. Additionally, Google has implemented protective measures like frequent cookie rotation and device-bound session credentials to limit the effectiveness of such attacks. Taking proactive steps like enabling these features and always monitoring account activity can help you avoid falling victim to similar hacking attempts in the future.
